February

This poem takes place in February, which the speaker calls a "month of despair" (25). The reason for this is that the sub-zero temperatures and raging winds of winter continue to oppress the speaker. The speaker remains indoors eating high-fat foods and watching hockey games on television. After months of presumably doing this, the isolation and lethargy take their toll on the speaker's mental health. This causes them to "think dire thoughts" and crave unhealthy food (27). However, at the end of the poem, the hope that spring will soon come contrasts the speaker's weariness.

The External World

Despite being indoors with a cat for company, the speaker's thoughts range out in time, place, and context. This can be seen when the speaker remarks that a local tomcat has been marking his territory on their front door. From there, the speaker considers how all species would benefit in the long...